


Sick Thoughts

by bigskoot



Series: Obey Me: Books of the Dead [3]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Beel is Sweet As Usual, Betrayal, Biblical Themes (Abrahamic Religions), Big Bads are Big Bad?, Canon Rewrite, Disturbing Themes, Everyone curses, Eye Trauma, F/M, Fictional Religion & Theology, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Leviathan Tries His Best, Lucifer is Dad, MC Got Trust Issues, MC is a Chaotic Empath, Mammon Gets Tough, Solomon is Angsty, Suggestive Themes, or are they?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:15:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26245531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigskoot/pseuds/bigskoot
Summary: Part Three!Summer turns to Fall...MC & her friends mourn the loss of a friend while a betrayal still looms over their heads.It's time to get stronger as they build a bond to face their foes, including their own inner demons.--**comments welcome ;)**
Relationships: Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Series: Obey Me: Books of the Dead [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907002
Comments: 38
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

Their limbs and feet all hit the wooden floor below. A much smaller space from the castle's grand interior. Satan and Asmodeus immediately take a b-line to a couch, setting Lord Diavolo onto the cushions, still unresponsive to anything around him. Barbatos rushes over to him and Lucifer follows behind.

Beelzebub huffs and lifts MC off of his shoulder, the image of her friends burnt into her mind, she grabs his shoulders, "Solomon! He, he-"

Lucifer cuts her off, his voice radiating through the wooden home, "Beel, fetch the medical supplies!"

His hand gives her a brush on the shoulder as he gets up and walks away.

She trembles, looking around at everyone.

"Won't they follow us?!" She barks, with a quiver in her voice, at the older brother who's carefully watching Barbatos check his Lord's wounds.

"No," he says, not taking his eyes off of him, "they can't if they don't have Barbatos."

She's confused by his words, still bent on her emotions.

Mammon shoves past her and grips Lucifer shoulder, "oi, listen," his brother moves away violently, the intensity of his stare sinking into his younger brother's eyes.

"I don't have time, Mammon," he spits.

He quickly screws his mouth shut, not sure what to do when the timid creak of wood behind them grabs their attention.

Lucifer turns his head, his eyebrows furrowed until he meets the angel's expression.

Simeon, disheveled from the castle, looks to his former kin. Eyes, sad and blury, as a tear rolls down his face. His elegant presence all the same, as his face stays relatively still and relaxed against the suffering he felt in his heart.

His voice cuts through Lucifer.

  
"Luke is dead."

  
All the brothers stop. MC, still trembling, brings her hands to her chest.

Mammon casts his eyes to the floor.

"And Solomon is with Shokujinki."

The phrase racks at her heart, his ring still heavy on her hand, she grips it tightly.

Beelzebub stands idle in the doorway, medical supplies in hand.

Barbatos silently motions him forward as he walks through the middle of Simeon and his brothers.

Lucifer has no words at first. His eyes widen in shock but quickly devolve back into a grimace. His hand comes up, squeezing his temples tight, feeling the weight of the situation come crashing down on him.

He crosses his arms and steps as far away as he can in the small space. His face turned out towards the window to the dark, Devildom sky.

"I'm sorry, Simeon."

For the first time, she hears a gentleness in voice, foreign to her ears.

"I wish I could send you both back to your realms. But I'm afraid I can't."

MC pipes up first, without thinking, "I wouldn't want to!"

Lucifer turns his head to her, the red glint of his eyes catching her breath in her throat.

"Then you're foolish," he says, glaring into her.

She wants to scream at him, but her voice comes out quiet, angry and malicious as she spits it out, "how dare you."

Barbatos interrupts as he stands to the students, "Lord Diavolo is most likely in a coma, Lucifer."

The older brother looks to the demon butler, his face still twisting in confusion.

"After going over his injuries, it might take as long as a month for him to come out of it," he says soberly, unmoved by the pain on his face, still swollen and bloodied from his beat down.

Lucifer takes to Lord Diavolo's side, his face in a peaceful sleep. Sighing heavily, he turns back to the students, "as long as Lord Diavolo is out, I will be the one in charge," he pauses, the brothers faces tired and worn from the fight, "everyone did their best tonight, and that's all I could ask for."

\---

The small, cottage home was one of Lord Diavolo's many vacation estates among the realm, MC had learned from Satan. Placed in the north eastern part of Devildom, he would retreat here for the fall time; bringing in lush trees that surrounded the back half of the property and a wide field to the front. As the night sky loomed over the cottage, MC sat outside of it on a small wooden bench. Tiny chirps and crickets sounded around her as she watched the stars. Holding her knees up close to her chest, the world felt too big for her to handle. The sound of the boys inside rustling about with supplies and bandages, she remarks to herself that she'll need to go back in to get her cheek looked at.

The door to cottage slowly creaks open and draws her attention away from the sky.

Mammon shuts the door quietly, facing her crumpled form on the bench. His jacket and shirt discarded for a tank top and sweats as he's paired with a new bandage to his shoulder. He stands there for a moment, feeling her sadness in the air.

"Hey," he simply says.

She frowns, her heart aching and tired, "hey."

Mammon saunters over to the bench, sitting on the empty space next to her. The moon shines softly on the grass and the small lamp above the cottage door burns lightly against the dark.

The demon clasps his hands together, the wash of betrayal still fresh in his mind.

MC's voice comes softly, "I tried summoning you."

Mammon looks to her.

"But, it didn't work," she brings her legs down to the soft grass, leaning back onto the house. Her eyes cast down, "I couldn't do anything."

"It's not your fault," her friend says, matching her quiet tone. He knew his brothers would listen to their conversation if they could hear them.

She shakes her head, the tears coming fast and her face contorting, "I don't know," she pauses, feeling the trepidation of her voice, "I thought... I thought he had a plan. But I don't know anymore."

Mammon furrows his brows, looking back down to the grass. He wants to stand up and run as fast as he can. He wants to find Solomon and kick his ass. He wants to ask him why... _why he lied to everyone_. The demon curls his fists, biting his lip until he too, starts to feel his eyes brim with tears. _Fuck_.

The back of his wrist pulls up to his face and he wipes his tears furiously, his voice quaking, "I'm sorry, MC."

She turns her head ever slightly, hearing his pain.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there in time."

Her body moves on it's own and she finds her hands on his shoulder. He feels her touch and brings his arm down; his glistening eyes just visible under the faded light.

Knowingly, they ease into each other's arms. The embrace, warm and desperate as they mourn. Her cries, waves of tears and hiccups against the demon's skin. For what feels like hours, turns to minutes, then seconds as her breathe shudders. Mammon's smell filling her nose, a sense of comfort that reminds her of all the days in school. Of when he held her, just the same, months ago.

In the dark, she peers over his shoulder, the lantern of the cabin still swaying gently. A flicker of flames dancing against the wood.

"Thank you."


	2. Chapter 2

MC sighs heavily. With a push, she opens the cottage door. After unfurling from her friend, Mammon had gone back. The once, crowded front, was now scarce of the brothers. Lord Diavolo was also no longer on the couch, _most likely brought to his own room,_ she thinks, _it all feels like a dream._

Asmodeus faces Leviathan, a careful and steady hand placing gauze to the demon's face. Beelzebub sits close by in an arm chair; with the living area so open to the kitchen on the opposite side, the brother had welcomed himself to the pantry. Full and empty cans practically make a moat around him. He looks up to MC and sets his food down, getting up, and drawing into her with no second thought. She takes him in and holds him, his large arms dwarfing her body. She can't feel his tears but his quick, stifled breathes tell her.

After letting go, Asmodeus turns to her, "baby, do you want me to do your stitches right now," he says delicately, almost motherly. She winces at the thought but agrees. Beelzebub retreats back to his food, his tears already ceasing. Leviathan gets up from his place on the couch, choosing to not say anything at the moment, but looking at her briefly as he walks away. Sitting down, she watches Asmodeus' hands work through the medical supplies. Stealing quick glances, his face isn't very marked up but his arms are covered in lacerations and bruises forming as he picks up a cotton ball.

He rests his wrist on her face, "this is going to hurt," he says, letting the cotton touch the wound on her cheek. It might've been the nerves or perhaps, the exhaustion, but she knows once the cotton touches that it should hurt worse.

"Wow, you're doing great," he says, smiling effortlessly, taking the needle and thread in hand, "this is the not-fun part though, okay?"

She frowns to him, unhappy with the lack of numbing agent, "is this safe?"

He giggles at her hesitation, "yes, of course. I have to be good with a needle, darling, how do you think I've avoided scars?"

Giving himself the go ahead, he begins steady work on her cheek. The sharp pain comes back slightly, but once again, the exhaustion overtakes what she's sure would be overwhelming if she weren't clouded by the dreamlike situation. As he works, she can tell he isn't completely cheery, the smile working as a mask of some kind to make himself feel better or maybe, to make his brother's feel better.

"You were very brave back there," he says quietly and concentrated. She thinks to open her mouth but doesn't, his hands still working on her face.

"Most non-magical humans would've ran away, I'm sure, especially if they were in your position," a small tug makes her squeeze her eyes shut, a small apology escaping Asmodeus' lips.

"I'd like to be in a pact with you."

Slowly, opening her eyes, she looks at her new friend incredulously, surprised at his proposition.

His hand falters down for a moment, pausing as he speaks, "perhaps, then, if you learn to summon us correctly, you won't be in danger."

Smiling again, he moves his hand back to her. _Summon correctly,_ she thinks, her mind wandering back to the rubble and chaos of the castle. _I couldn't do anything._

_Neither did Solomon._

Her thoughts corrode her brain as she remembers the pact Solomon and Asmodeus have.

_He never summoned him._

_..._

_He never planned to._

She washes away her thoughts when she feels another pull on her face and another apology from her friend.

He finishes quickly, tying the ends carefully. His hand comes down and brings up more gauze and a bandage on her cheek.

"Now, make sure you wait at least a day or two to take off the bandage and wash it," the demon explains, wrapping up his medical supplies on the coffee table next to them, "the cut was small so I put in stitches that are dissolvable," he closes the kit and smiles to MC, "don't go tugging at them, okay?"

"Of course," she says, returning the gesture.

Asmodeus holds his hand out, as if to shake, and she realizes that he's serious about offering the pact. As they grasp hands, a small flame emits from around their shake; a binding to the soul put in place once more.

\--

The cottage is quiet now; most of the brothers off to their bedrooms, their sleeping arrangements disorganized. With few bedrooms, Beelzebub had taken his spot on the couch, near the kitchen. Mammon, Leviathan, and Asmodeus into one bedroom, all of them too tired to protest. In Lord Diavolo's master bedroom, he lays in his bed singularly with Lucifer still awake in a chair beside him as Barbatos heals his wounds through the night.

It only left Satan, Simeon, and MC to a small room further to the back of the house. With only two beds and minimal space for privacy, the unease of the night crept into her thoughts now and again. She needed a distraction. MC takes it upon herself to walk the cottage floors, peaking into cupboards and closets, eyeing old photographs hanging on the walls. She breathes in slowly, calming herself and looking to the window in the hall. The feeling of the home was much more akin to that of the human realm she realized, seeing the soft colors of the plaid curtains and light wood for all the furniture. She could really picture the future Demon King coming out here to unwind; a glass of tea in one hand and a smile casting over the field in front of the cottage.

She eventually ventured to the back door of the house and opened it as quietly as she could. The backyard was mostly barren of extraneous furniture or decoration, albeit, the beautiful green grass, looking blueish against the night sky.

Her ears perk up when she hears a familiar voice near the house.

To her left, Simeon kneels on the ground, his legs tucked neatly under his body and close to the exterior wall. The grass around him is shorter than the rest of the yard, the dirt barely visible under the darkness.

MC feels a pang in her stomach, feeling rather intrusive on his moment but doesn't leave when she hears his voice again.

With his hands in his lap, he looks at her softly, "would you like to sit?"

It takes her a moment to process what he says, "oh," she simply replies, walking over to the spot on the ground near him. Her legs tremble as they make their way down, and she makes it to the floor in a less than graceful manner; a result of the used up adrenaline from earlier that day.

Simeon gives her a smile and turns his head back to the stars.

The breeze of the night felt so calming, as if to mock the hectic past events. The same stillness and silence that crept all throughout Devildom every night before, unchanged no matter the day.

She stared into the dirt and grass below her.

"Quiet night, hm?"

The angel's voice startles her. She looks up to him but his eyes are still fixed into the sky.

She mutters back to him, eyes casting back down to the grass, "yea."

A pause in the air catches her breathe but Simeon speaks up again, "thank you, MC."

She shakes her head, unconvinced that she had done anything to warrant the angel's response. Her fingers fiddle with her torn clothes, "I'm sorry," she says in response.

"You did all you could."

Her heart feels utterly torn, her vision becoming blurry. She shakes her head, her fists balling up in her lap, "I'm sorry, Simeon," she says again, her voice quivering as she spoke and tears beginning to fall.

The angel says nothing at first, his eyes gleaming in the starlight.

"MC," he says softly.

She doesn't respond, her hands to busy covering her eyes as she cries once more.

"It's alright."

MC feels inconsolable, the rush of emotion and pain of guilt filling her mind. She should've done more, she should've never trusted Solomon, she should've stayed with Luke, _and maybe_ -

A hand resting on her head pulls her away from her thoughts. Opening her eyes, she looks to him.

"He's with the Father now. It's alright."

A sudden grimace splays her face, a long frustration seeping out onto the unsuspecting Simeon, "why didn't the Father stop this? Why didn't he do anything?"

The angel seems surprised at first, but doesn't remove his hand from her hair. Tilting his face, his eyes look around at her. He moves the strands that are in disarray atop her head calmly, "he can't stop anything, MC. Events, good or bad, aren't by his hand," he says so matter of factly that she realizes he's must've explained the same thing to many humans before her, "we can only accept what happens and choose a path on how to deal with it."

The sudden anger in her heart melts as she hears his words. The same words that she had given to Beelzebub just days before. The thought, replaying in her head, cooling her nerves as she begins to feel less upset.

As he withdraws his hand, his eyes look back towards the stars. She studies his face -- no hatred, no malice, only peace as he looks up into the sky.

Her eyes look up as well, a new feeling welling up in her chest. An old memory shifting in and out of the constellations. The smell of smoke wafting her nose bringing no rush of anxiety but instead, new questions to her mind.

  
_Accept it..._

  
_And choose a path..._


	3. Chapter 3

The morning light wakes her up first. Unlike the dark castle walls, the cottage had plenty of windows and for a moment, she thought she was back in her apartment. Half asleep, she can almost feel her old room around her, back in the human realm. Stirring, MC finally opens her eyes. Letting her hearing come back from her unconscious state, she comes to and realizes that everyone has left the room. MC rolls over, snuggling deeper into the mattress and comforter. Moving her hand, she's startled when she feels a cold sensation on her finger.

Opening her eyes, the student stares at her hand, the ring still fixed on her finger. She reaches up to it and slides it off to fidget with. The silver band weaves around with intricate carvings, small scratches indicating its wear and tear over the years. There are no etches of personal touch, such as initials or a date, from what she sees. Laying plush against the bed, she looks at the ring solemnly.

 _It doesn't make any sense_ , she thinks, finding her thoughts wavering to the day before, _why would Solomon do any of this?_

She remembers it all in a rush.

His eyes, distant and cold, engrained in her mind.

Feeling the anxious weight of sadness in her throat, she shoves it back down into herself. MC hastily sits up from the bed and sets the ring down onto the dresser, moving again to stand up and walk out of the room.

She stops at the door, glancing down at her clothes, still torn. Frowning, she turns around to spot the dresser partially open near the window. Stepping towards it, there's a small note on the top.

~~We found cloth~~ ~~Dear MC,~~

~~Simeon said that this might~~

~~Hopefully this doesn't alarm you~~

**Wear this. - Satan**

Reading it makes her smirk, thinking of Satan writing out a bunch of notes to only end up with two words and his signature.

\---

With the cottage being so small, she could already hear the voices and steps of the brothers walk about the center room close by. The smell of food being cooked makes her stomach growl and she heads quickly to the kitchen and front area.

Glancing into the other hallway, she can see Lord Diavolo's door shut, half wondering if she'll see Lucifer with the students.

"Oi, oi, stop trying to eat my food, Beel!"

She steps into the living room. Lucifer and Barbatos are no where to be seen and it confirms her thoughts.

Everyone had also discarded their shredded formal clothes for the more homely outfits Lord Diavolo had provided in the dressers. _Perhaps not particularly for them_ , she thinks. Satan stands by the stove with a large pot of boiling soup and a neatly tied apron around his waist. He looks back at Mammon and Beelzebub sitting on the couch, "Beel, if you want seconds, get over here," he calls, annoyed and stirring the pot vigorously. Asmodeus sits at a bar stool by the counter in between the kitchen and living room, crossing his legs and looking like he's ignoring the whole situation. Leviathan shoves another spoonful in his mouth in an armchair, his other hand preoccupied with his, somehow, still operational phone; a look of discontent and unease over his face. She wonders if all this lack of alone time has gotten to him yet.

Simeon, cleaning up in the kitchen, looks over to MC, who's still half awake in the doorway.

"Good morning," he says across the room with a smile. 

"Good morning," she answers back.

MC doesn't notice all the brothers immediately glancing her way. Some lingering longer than others, all wondering how she was holding up. Mammon stares at her longingly before snapping himself out of it when he sees Beel start pulling her over to the couch.

He says nothing as he pushes her forward by the shoulders and plops her down next to his older brother, silently grabbing a bowl of soup for her to eat. He smiles brightly to her, a complete contrast to his genuine animalistic scowl he adorned during his fight with the rivaling demons.

"Thank you, Beel," MC smiles back to him, taking the bowl in her hands. She looks down in the soup, ready to eat, but not able to bring the spoon to her face. She purses her lips and Mammon speaks softly next to her, "you gotta eat, MC."

The concerned tone makes her finally take a bite, and then another. She was certainly hungry but her constant shift into anxious thoughts made it hard to keep swallowing.

A hard slam in the back of the house makes everyone jump. Hard footsteps close in on the living room, and Lucifer appears, striding to the front door. Just as he gets to the end, he turns on his heel with his arms crossed. Mammon looks at the bags under his eyes nervously.

"Lord Diavolo is going to need a month to recover."

Satan's eyes widen, "a month?"

Lucifer furrows his eyebrows deeper than the already permanent look of stress on his face.

"With the threat of Shokujinki's demonic army, we can't afford to sit back idly as he recovers."

Looking around at his brothers, he continues, "I will require all of you to begin training for an imminent attack on the castle. I've spoken to Barbatos and we've both agreed that it is of the utmost importance for you all to be able to defend yourselves properly," he scans over to MC, her eyes burning into his own. _Defend yourselves,_ she replays, feeling like he's directing the comment mostly to her. She holds his gaze for as long as she can before he looks back to the other students.

"We must take advantage of every moment we can. Our goal by the end of two months is to return the castle to Lord Diavolo and end Shokujinki's impudent cause."

There are no questions. The room is tense with thought as Lucifer strides away.

He stops just before the doorway, slowly turning his head to MC. He says nothing until she finally looks up at his face.

"I'd like to speak with you."

Mammon wants to get up as he sees her walk away with his older brother; demand why they can't talk to each other in front of everyone, why he always had to be so secretive. The brother shuts his mouth, balling his fists in his lap.

_Why am I so weak..._

\---

MC steps into the future demon king's room. Barbatos sits by his bed, his eyes closed in concentration as both of his hands hover above his master, glowing in a brilliant turquoise. Magic symbols cast over his form in different areas of his covered body and MC watches anxiously. Lucifer files in behind her, shutting the door and walking over to the chair seated on the other side of the bed.

He holds his hand up, motioning behind her to reveal another chair to which she nervously takes.

Her heart beats are fast and she can feel the empty feeling in her stomach again.

Lucifer wastes no time, "so," he begins, crossing his legs, "how close were you and Solomon?"

She winces, understanding what he really meant to say, "I didn't think he would," she pauses, thinking of the right words to say, "I didn't think he would betray anyone, if that's what you mean."

The demon hums in response, his eyes diligent on pulling any answers he could out of the human.

"What were you two doing in the chambers?"

_Two? Did he only think it was her and Solomon?_

She furrows her eyebrows, "we both saw Simeon disappear at night while at the castle and figured out he was going down in the chambers," shey says, choosing to leave out Mammon. Her hands begin to sweat, "so we tried confronting him one night."

"And?"

MC squeezes her fists again, the calm, decisive questioning frustrating her, "he was going down there to pray," she thinks for a moment, _should I even bring up what I saw..?_

After a pause, out of impulse and whatever courage she could muster, she speaks again, "he was praying for the souls down there. The humans that died in the chambers. There was blood on the walls from when they were tortured and I would like to know wh-"

"Do you think you have an authority to be asking questions right now," Lucifer spits, his voice overpowering hers.

She narrows her eyes, "how long were they down there?"

"My," the demon smiles, a habit of his agitation, and scrunches his fingers between the bridge of his nose, "you are courageous, hm," he asks, mockingly.

MC thinks she's going to throw up from how tense the room was. In a breath of silence, the brother gets up from his chair and leans over her, his face shadowed from the window's light.

"So help the Father, you will know pain if you keep prying, do you understand me?"

She waivers. _How could she go on? Would Lord Diavolo agree with him, would he threaten this kind of violence for a few questions?_

He leans further, his face closer in proximity, sending a shiver down her spine, "do we understand each other?"

She swallows the spit in the back of her throat, "what are you trying to hide?"

Lucifer grimaces. He wasn't used to anyone, let alone, a human, be unintimidated by his tactics. He had enough of the constant spying, the backstabbing, and betrayal of friends for one decade. He raises his hand and grips her throat with enough pressure to make her uncomfortable. MC freezes in terror, her hands not making it up to her neck in time to back him off.

"What happened in the forest, MC," he raises his voice, his eyes turning fierce than before, "talk about hiding, you haven't said a single true statement to me since you've stayed here," he grasps harder and she begins to panic for her life.

Her vision goes blank.

A simple whisper of a woman calls out.

A warmth overtakes her body, and all she can feel is her emotions swirling around her head.

Barbatos ceases his healing and stands up in shock, running for Lucifer to step back.

MC's eyes shine bright, emitting a familiar aura to the demon brother.

A rush of papers and shelves whip around the room for a moment, only to be let down as the aura dissipates quickly.

MC falls to the wooden floor, her autonomous body back to her own senses. She huffs exasperately, finding Lucifer's eyes.

He looks to her desperately, the clarity of her magic awakening clear to him.

" **Lilith**."


	4. Chapter 4

Loud bangs on the door startle Lucifer, his eyes darting to the noise. Mammon yells from the other side, "hey, are ya'll okay in there? Hello?"

MC responds to him quickly, "yes! We're fine, Mammon!"

She knows he won't open the door unless he absolutely felt like he needed to, especially with an upset Lucifer in the room. He responds and shortly after, his footsteps dissipate down the hall.

The older brother closes his agape mouth, still feeling the lingering presence of the magical energy MC had let out into the room. Barbatos, his face already back to its stoic expression, looks on at the student on the ground. She purses her mouth, steadily picks herself up from the wooden floor, nervously staring at the two.

The demon butler speaks first, addressing her in a calm voice, "would you like another chair, MC?"

She turns her head to him, stricken with confusion at the almost laughable question. Looking around, she spots her seat, shattered and splintered on the other side of the room.

"Um, sure," she says hesitantly, still in shock of how quickly the situation had escalated.

As Barbatos curtly walks himself out of the room, Lucifer stands facing MC, the uncomfortable silence growing heavier with the butler gone. Her eyes shift around her space; the floorboards cracked and raised in the area around her, the vanity's mirror in pieces. The older finds himself lost in thought as the familiar aura coils around his heart. _Could she be..?_

The door clicks and Barbatos walks back in, one of the small kitchen stools in his hand. Politely, he sets it down behind MC, as if she didn't just obliterate her previous chair.

Lucifer sits down first, less agitated and filled with more questions than before. The student takes her seat as well, quietly waiting for him to say something. He leans forward with his hands pulled up to his face in a studious manner.

"MC," he beckons, saying her name softly.

She notices the change in his tone, the thoughtful look in his eyes but she doesn't answer.

He sighs in defeat, picking his words carefully, "I will tell you about the chambers if you tell me about," he pauses, _what was that?_

"If you can tell me about whatever that was."

She swallows, the dull pain still fixed around her neck. The human had never expected him to lunge for her but with a change of heart, perhaps he would be less inclined to try and kill her, she thinks.

"Okay," she stutters, hoping he'd take the initiative to go first.

He does.

Lucifer sighs again, straightening his back and running a hand through his hair. Crossing his arms and legs, he looks to her, remembering a time long past.

"It was a hundred years ago," he begins, his mind drifting, "the chambers were made by former underlings of Lord Diavolo. Dukes of Devildom, the titles are long gone at this point," MC listens tentatively.

"They were made for the truly despicable humans who had found themselves corporeal in Devildom. Usually used for strong, magic wielding sorcerers or humans who's souls were too tainted with sin to stay in their intangible state, but not strong enough to become a demon themselves."

"To become a demon," MC asks, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes," Lucifer says, "surely you've heard of humans becoming corrupted? Many demons in Devildom were once human, or..." He trails off, a sadness in his eyes as he furrows his brows.

 _Ah_ , she had already forgotten, looking at the once esteemed angel of the Father. It was easier to see in the other brothers. They were more openly caring and normal than the older brother with a permanent scowl. She doesn't press further, feeling guilty for bringing back his memory of his fall, "right."

Lucifer clears his throat, continuing, "they were built in secret -- a stone slab used to cover the entrance, only moveable with an incantation of sorts. Once Lord Diavolo had discovered them, he had no intention on keeping them, finding the chambers truly barbaric and cruel, especially since he had planned on mending the relations between the realms."

MC nodded her head and hummed, "what happened to the Dukes?"

The demons eyes grow sharp, penetrating her soul; the air in the room sucked out.

"They were sentenced to death for insubordination and conspiracy to overthrow Lord Diavolo."

Her eyes widen.

"I hope that answers your question," the demon says simply.

She purses her lips, looking to the floor, taking in all the information. It's hard to process at the moment, she knows, but she tries to think of it rationally. Accepting his answer, MC looks back to him, "thank you, Lucifer."

"Now," he says, shifting in his seat towards her, "your turn."

MC swallows and looks to the floor.

"It's only happened twice in my life," she says slowly, the smell of burning wood wafting around her nose.

"In the forest, when Shokujinki was here," she breathes in, the memories rolling back to her, "I didn't know how to summon Mammon, but I remembered hearing a woman's voice. She was trying to talk to me, I think, I'm not sure what she was saying," as MC speaks, Lucifer leans forward, carefully examining each sentence, "It just felt like, a rush of energy or something. I remember feeling really strange, like I knew Mammon would be there if I called for him. When it was all done," she sighs, "I was just in a daze. That's it."

The demon raises his hand up to his chin, "you said it happened twice before. What about the other time?"

MC feel reluctant to answer. Her heart begins to beat harder, the burning house too close in her vision.

"MC?"

She balls his fist in her lap, stifling whatever tears might form in her eyes. She clenches her jaw, "there was a fire."

The older brother remains silent.

Vivid images of her mother and father drift across her mind, the look of terror never fading from her. She starts again.

"When I was a kid, I got into a lot of fights with my parents," she could still feel her voice ripping through the air as she screamed at them, "they were followers of the Father and thought I was some kind of devil when I told them I would hear that woman from inside me," she furrows her brows, "one night, they tried to do an exorcism on me, but I..."

  
_MC, stop!_

  
"I..."

  
_Run! Hurry!_

  
"I guess I passed out or, I don't know," her breathe hitches, "when I woke up, there was fire all around me. At first, I really thought I was in Hell," she rubs her thumb to her palm anxiously, "but I heard my parents downstairs, their footsteps and voices. They ran out."

Lucifer's eyes soften to her voice, his gaze on her face pained.

"It was later that I found out they told everyone I started the fire."

MC finally sighs, her story finished for the older brother. She looks up to him.

The older brother closes his eyes, his hands now both of up to his face again. He knows it's a stretch, _but perhaps the woman that MC was hearing..._

"MC," he says her name, peaking her attention, "do my brothers know of this power you possess?"

She makes a face, "well, I mean, Mammon knows about it," she gasps halfway through her sentence, "fuck, Solomon knows too. But they're the only ones I told."

He hums in response, looking off to Barbatos who's still listening from beside Lord Diavolo. The brother stands abruptly, holding his hand out to hers. She's confused but takes it, the touch forming into a handshake.

"You will train this magic you have with my brothers if you really desire to stay and help."

She lifts her eyebrows in surprise, "wh-what?"

"You said you'd rather stay here, correct?"

"Ah, yes! I did!"

Lucifer chuckles, a rare smile she hasn't seen since she arrived, "then, make yourself useful."

A glimmer of determination ignites in her and she shakes his hand hardily, "I will."


	5. Chapter 5

Mammon leans against the wall of the living room, folding his arms and impatiently tapping his finger on his bicep. Hearing the startling sound of wood splintering made him uneasy knowing how upset his brother could get, but Barbatos was in the room and surely, his brother wouldn't lose his temper at a mere human, he reassured himself. With the brothers all in the backyard, dusting off work out equipment and magical stone golems to practice with, Mammon groaned; frustrated that he was so pious to MC, frustrated that he felt like he couldn't do anything, again. _She's an adult_ , he thinks, pushing another agonizing minute down, _she can handle herself._

The creak of the bedroom door swings open and he jolts, heaving himself away from the wall and turning a corner to the hallway. He sees her there, unharmed but focused. Once he notices that Lucifer hadn't walked out with her, he whispers in a hushed tone, "you okay?"

She hums, "yea, yea," and responds offhandedly, still focused on her inner dialogue. Glancing into the living room, she looks back at Mammon, "hey, where is everyone?"

"Uh, outside -- training," he says, waiting for her to say more.

MC looks back towards Lord Diavolo's room and then to Mammon, biting the inside of her mouth, "I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"

Mammon shifts his feet in place, not really sure why she wouldn't talk to him at the moment -- that's always how they'd done it before, but thinking of the older brother eavesdropping on their conversation didn't sit well with her. Noticing his confusion, she speaks again, "it's okay. Just got a lot on my mind," she trails off, unfurling the details of her conversation. _The chambers, the way Lucifer had acted._ She boiled his intimidation tactics to the lack of control he felt when speaking to her. _Maybe he really did mean to snap my neck off though_. She shivers.

"Are you cold?'

She pulls herself from her thoughts, "huh? Oh! No, no, sorry," she spurts, laughing pathetically.

MC swallows, gesturing them to walk closer to the back of the cottage. Further from the bedroom and closer to the backyard's door, she speaks again, "sorry, I don't doubt that Lucifer doesn't know I'll tell you but," she pauses, feeling out her next words, "he told me about the chambers-"

"What!" The demon hisses too loud for his own good.

"Mammon!" She sticks her hand over his face.

"Sorry, sorry."

Sighing and moving her hand away, she continues, "I'll give you the details tonight," she says, her mind overlapping previous details she had remembered.

"Also," MC claps her hands together, closing her eyes to brace for his reaction, "I told Lucifer about my powers."

"What?!" She didn't think Mammon would yell even louder.

Opening her eyes slowly, she chuckles, "listen, I told him the truth and he said that you all could help me train. I said I wanted to stay and I don't want to be useless, so you got to help me out, alright?"

Mammon shocked face quickly switched as he grabs her hands excitedly, "you won't need any help from anyone else cause I got you covered, okay? The next time you're in trouble, it'll be me that protects you."

\---

Beelzebub punches the wooden dummy once more, acting as if he was blocking punches and kicks from an invisible assailant. The backyard was vast and large enough to accommodate plenty of equipment. With the falling temperatures into what the human's would consider fall, Beelzebub felt ripe with athletic energy. Taking a break, he picks up his gallon of water again, taking a hardy swig before hearing what sounded like loud whining.

"No! I said I was going to train you!"

"You can help by not dropping fifty pound weights on me!"

"It didn't even fall on you!"

"Hey, Beel!"

He hears his name leave MC's mouth and he turns to look at her. Clad in a spare shirt and baggy pants from another one of Lord Diavolo's dresser's, he watches her march towards him comically, with his brother, Mammon, weakly dragging behind.

MC grabs Mammon from the shoulder that he didn't have bandaged and pulls him up next to her to stand with, "Beel, are you busy?"

The brother blinks, his face stoic, "no."

"I have some potential for learning to control magic and if it's okay, I want you to help us train it."

Mammon folds his arms, "I told you I could handle it, you just weren't doing it right-"

"Okay," Beelzebub replies.

MC smiles appreciatively, "thank you, Beel!"

The more muscular brother steps forward examining MC's body innocently. Mammon blushes madly, "oi, oi, what do you think you're doing, huh? Stop being such a pervert right in front of me!"

Beelzebub pays no mind, placing his hand on his chin in front of the rather embarrassed MC, "I'll determine what kind of meal plan and work out regime we'll put you on starting tomorrow."

At first, she's surprised at how _un-Beel_ like he seemed before remembering that he was considered the brother most in shape. MC's smile twitches and her eyes narrow in confusion, "ah, a work out regime? But I'm trying to train magic?"

"You need to be physically strong to train magic correctly as well. The energy output can really take a toll on the body if you aren't in shape."

MC sighs, "okay, that makes sense," she responds, taking a mental note.

Mammon continues sorely crossing his arms, "I'm already in shape so I'll make sure to watch from the sidelines and cheer you on!"

MC humorously scoffs and rolls her eyes, "yea, okay, you plan on dressing the part too?"

"Shut up, moron," he barks, throwing a fist playfully on her head.


	6. Chapter 6

"Two more pushups, MC," yelled Beelzebub as he pushed up alongside the student.

MC, arms shaking, pushes herself off the ground again. With a bead of sweat rolling down her face, she felt her arms weaken as she comes back down to the mat.

Mammon sat idly nearby, thrusting his fist into the air, "you got it, MC, one more!"

She huffs exasperately, cursing from exhaustion but finds it in herself to heave back up one more time, straining to stay tough. Beel smiles exumberantly, having pushed up and down with her the entire time, "you did it!"

With a groan she falls to the mat, arms like wet noodles. She breathes heavily and closes her eyes. The fit brother pats her head gently and smiles proudly to her for finishing her rep. With her first day under the belt, he was excited to watch her become stronger. Standing up and walking towards their things, he snatches her water bottle and sets in down in front of her face, "make sure you drink lots of water, MC, so your muscles won't be as sore tomorrow."

Through pained breathes she pushes out, "I... will... just a second," she gasps some more, too tired to even roll on her back.

Mammon gets up from his spot on a bench nearby and mosies over to MC's wilted form, squatting in front of her to poke her with a stick he'd found earlier in the day, "hey, c'mon, you can't be that tired, drink your water."

"Fuck. You," she says, wanting to swipe his dumb stick away from her.

He finds it amusing and laughs above her, "wow! You really do need me around to be the muscle, you're weak as hell."

A vein pops in her head and she grabs the stick her friend is poking her with. Slowly looking up at him, he starts sweating from the devilish glare she pierces into him. Dramatically raising her voice, she yells at him in annoyance, "how about you get down here and do ten pushups, you potato on sticks!"

"P-potato on sticks," Mammon stutters, aghast by her comeback, "who do you think you are talking to the Great Mammon like that!"

"You were perfectly strong when I summoned you!"

"That's cause it's different, dumbass!"

"So, you're saying you can't do a pushup then?"

The demon brother mouth drops as he gasps, the over the top action making Beelzebub look on in amusement, "yea, Mammon, I haven't seen you do a pushup since Lucifer banned you from the gym for trying to sell the equipment."

His brother whips his head to Beelzebub, shock and terror painting his face as he looks back between him and MC, the right excuse trying to form in his mind.

"I-I," he begins as MC finds the strength within her to finally sit up and look at him, crossing her arms in the process.

Her stare convinces him more than anything, not wanting her to be actually upset with him. He caves, "urgh, alright, fine! B-but don't expect me to not make you pay for it later!"

Outfitted in a tank top and sweats, Mammon positions himself over the dirt floor in between MC and Beelzebub. He knows he hasn't always been the physically strongest brother, or the one to work out the most, _but_ _what's a few years without work, I can do this!_

As he lowers himself to the ground, he takes position and MC's annoyed expression turns curious as she notices his form. _His shoulders aren't built like Beel's but his lower back looks good_. She's never been blind to how handsome he was, remembering way back when she had first began hanging out with the brother. He had a boyish look about him, but she could see the subtleties of a matured adult underneath whenever he took to something serious.

As he began, she felt her cheeks get hot, watching him go through four pushups so effortlessly. As he came up for a fifth, he abruptly stops, blinking at the ground under him before looking over to Beel, "uh," he utters, before quietly whining out, "you said I had to do ten?"

MC snaps from her thoughts and points a finger to him comically, "a-ha! I told you it was hard!"

Mammon wobbles underneath his own weight, "fuck you, you could barely do three!" He yells back to her but she feels nothing but smug pride at knowing why he didn't want to demonstrate his "athletic prowess."

Beelzebub claps beside them and grins widely, "looks like you're joining our workouts, Mammon!"

The demon brother springs up from his spot on the ground, his arms and legs spread out as if to make himself look bigger, "what! no way, you can't order me around, I'm your older brother!"

MC laughs, "I don't know," she giggles, lifting a hand to chuckle behind it, "looks like you need as much improvement as I do."

"What was that?" He grits through his teeth, turning around to make a fist at her for laughing.

MC swallows her laughter in exchange for a pleasant smile, "hey, you were the one to tell me you'd be the next one to save me, right?"

Mammon hears his brother chuckle behind him and he crosses his arms, face now pouting and flushed, "shut up, okay, you're so embarrassing."

\---

Practically shoveling the food to his mouth, Beelzebub hulks down another sandwich from Simeon's tray on the kitchen counter.

Politely standing in front of the brothers and MC, the angel smiles nervously, hoping the poor glutton won't choke on his food. Scanning his eyes around the room, the demons seemed exhausted from working out their powers and pushing their physical strength to their limits. His eyes fall on MC as she sits beside Mammon, both scarfing down a sandwich in their hands. He noticed her working out with the two earlier in the day, but was surprised to hear her talk about continuing. _What makes her keep going?_ He thinks to himself, quietly contemplating why a mere human would want to help the brothers of Hell. _Surely, she must miss home... I do._ Silently, he turns his back amd begins cleaning up the mess in the kitchen.

As they talk amongst themselves, Leviathan pipes through the crowd of voices, throwing his fist on top of Mammon's head, ruffling his hair in the process.

"Hey, I saw you crying earlier about your workout, idiot," he says crassly, smiling smugly to himself, to MC's dismay. She was never a fan of the brothers poking more than their fair share of "fun" at their older brother but Leviathan's comments struck her as particularly condescending.

Mammon swipes his hand away, growling in his direction, "the Great Mammon doesn't cry! I didn't want to continue getting my clothes dirty!"

"Sure, sure," Leviathan glances to MC, her eyes on her sandwich still. The brother puts his hands in his pockets, the growing feeling of envy coming over him, "hey, you know, you haven't once trained or summoned me since we've made a pact, MC."

She swear she feels her eye twitch, but doesn't look at him, instead responding in a lower tone, "I have to learn how to summon first."

"What!" He yells exasperately, "you mean you still don't know how to summon? Why are you even making pacts if you can't use them?"

MC's genuine annoyance with him takes over, spelling her sentences out methodically, "I'm not exactly equipped to handle other demons." _It was true_ , she meant it, but it was also a good excuse as to not raise more suspicion.

"I guess you humans are a bunch of normies, huh?"

She stays silent for a moment, Leviathan somehow oblivious to the tension of anger brewing under the surface. She simply hums in response, not caring to continue conversing.

Satan, like an animal, smells the rage in the air as Leviathan continues to try and small talk with her and Mammon. Looking over from the chair by the window, he watches the human's eyes stay locked on her food. Her body language conveying more than he needed to know; being the most wrathful of all the brothers, he wasn't a stranger to the practice of self restraint. Turning his attention to Mammon, he knows his poor, doormat of a brother isn't going to say anything to stop Leviathan. He sighs and continues looking outside.

Mammon knows MC is uncomfortable, but he can't get Leviathan to stop talking.

"Mammon, don't think because Shoku is back that I haven't forgotten you owe me grimm still," he barks.

The brother waves his hand across his face, "oi, oi, I know, I know," he says, "listen, it takes a long time to get grimm back when all of Devildom is being taken over by a crazy maneater."

"I'm just making sure you don't forget," he turns his head to MC again, "make sure he doesn't forget, okay, normie?"

"I think I'm good."

"Huh?" Leviathan's eyebrows knit together, not liking the tone he had just heard, "what? Hey, you both are getting way too chummy! You can't excuse his awful behavior just because you're friends, normie!"

MC feels the adrenaline of a comeback rising and after her workout, she feels especially emboldened. Snapping her head towards him, her voice comes out, "would you shut the fuck up?"

Leviathan reels back, shocked at her words and the room goes silent.

MC clenches her jaw and quickly looks back to her food. _Goddammit_ , she hisses in her thoughts, she couldn't afford to get Leviathan angry at her again but she couldn't stop herself from acting out.

To her surprise, Leviathan shuts it down, looking off to the side and scratching his neck, "jeez, sorry," he mumbles before walking solemnly over into the hallway; presumably to go to his room.

MC's eyebrows are still furrowed after he leaves and Mammon looks at her in awe. He could never be taken seriously, especially by Leviathan, who saw often didn't take anything seriously except for his money. He tries speaking up, but MC is already walking off to her room.

"Just give her a minute," Mammon turns his head to Simeon, delicately picking up the plate she left on the table.

The brother frowns, staring at his half eaten food. He desperately wants to get up and chase her but he can hear his brothers laugh at him already. _What is there for him to say anyway?_

He sighs heavily, "right."


	7. Chapter 7

"Come on, one more minute!"

While MC pictured her college venture to be an exciting one, she didn't think running alongside two demons to train for war would be on her list of activities. Breathes of air sucked into her burning lungs as her feet drove her forward. It hurt, she knew, the exercises and the soreness afterwards, but it was a great distraction. Despite dreading every lead up into a new movement, she found herself focused, drowning out whatever sadness would seep into her when she was dazed around the house. _It all felt like dream sometimes,_ she would think, wandering the halls.

Finally seeing the cottage up ahead, the brothers and MC make their final sprint to the backyard. As soon as her foot hits the yard, she stumbles and slows; the heavy, shallow breathing coming fast. Her hands above her head, as Beelzebub taught, to cool herself down and allow more oxygen into her body. She watches Beelzebub run up to the cottage to tap it, a finishing line for the much more active brother, but her eyes can't find Mammon. Squinting around her, she spots the brother still at the edge of the backyard, his hands on his knees, the silhouette of his body tremoring and heaving.

"You okay," she yells exasperately to him, not really expecting him to answer back.

She can see his head shake up and down, expression unclear from the distance. Beelzebub, glistening from sweat, hands her their water bottles, "here, great job today, MC, I'm proud of you! You both did awesome!" He smiles brightly, his teeth pearly and cheery. It was nice hearing those words, _that phrase_ , she thinks. Taking a swig of water, she wipes her mouth and smirks bashfully, "thank you, Beel."

Turning back to Mammon, she notices he's straightened up, now walking towards them, "how are you feeling, dude," she smacks a hand lightly to his back, making sure he's still alive. He blinks, his head cast down, and she quirks an eyebrow. He had done better today than the last few workouts but his expression said different. She stares at his face, twisting her mouth. Mammon's tiresome eyes don't reach hers, and brushes her hand off, his feet moving him towards the house, "I'm gonna go wash off, don't wait up."

MC watches his steady walk back into the cottage and she closes the hand that was touching him, "I wonder what's up with Mammon..."

Beelzebub looks at her, and then his brother, and back to her again, "are you worried about him?"

"I mean," she shrugs her shoulders, trying to ground herself back from her thoughts, "I guess, I don't know. He's been kind of different recently is all. Do you think he's embarrassed or something? For not being in shape?"

"No," the brother says bluntly, taking a swig of his water. His colorful eyes bounce around from the cottage to the sky above them, "I think he's just frustrated. He must feel like he's not as strong as me, so this is probably an eye opener for him."

"Oh," her eyes widen, "that was very poignant, Beel," she says with genuine surprise. While the younger man wasn't an idiot, he certainly still seemed childlike most of the time, making her forget about his delicate attention to his other brother's moods and feelings.

He chuckles at her, his hand coming up to pet the top of her head, "I think you two are very cute."

She blushes madly, her arms flying up to her sides as if to make herself look bigger, "what the heck does that mean, 'you two,' huh? I'm not cute! I'm hardworking and big and tough!"

He laughs again, the red look on her face too much to keep pushing her.

\---

The night lulls over the cottage, the various creatures chirping and humming from the outside windows. With every day drawing closer to the month's end, the air begins to feel heavier for the students as they lay in their beds. Tucked away in a hoodie, Leviathan faces away from his two brothers, too busy with bickering about who clogged the bathroom's handsink. His phone weighs awkwardly in his hand as he scrolls through site after site, seeing Devildom news outlets report on Shokijinki's mysterious appearance and Lord Diavolo's lackthereof. Various articles depicting the heinous acts of violence make his stomach uneasy. Eyes half lidded, he wished he could slip away into another world, like the ones in his games to escape the nightmare around him.

"Mammon, you really shouldn't use so much cologne, you wreak of rotten wood shavings," Asmodeus plugs his nose, waving his hand in the air, trying to shoo the other brother away from his bed. Mammon shrugs his shirt off, getting ready for bed, "like you smell any better, I feel like I'll get a cavity if I'm a even kilometer away from you."

"How rude, you should really learn to respect those more intelligent than you," Asmodeus grabs for his brush.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, huh?! You got a lot of nerve talking to your older brother like that!"

Brushing his hair, the younger brother laughs loudly, "you're so cute when you get mad, Mammon! Like a little kitten ready to pounce!"

"You little," the brother clenches his fists.

Their conversation is broken up by Leviathan, who rises from his bed.

Mammon, watching him go for the door, raises his eyebrows, "hm? You going to take a piss or somethin'?"

Leviathan shoves his hand in the pockets of pants, brushing off his brother's remark, "sure, whatever."

As the door closes, Mammon places his hands on his hips, "tch, never mind then."

\---

Leviathan's steps are gentle as he hangs his head in the darkness of the cottage. With the curtains pulled back, there's enough moonlight to see the hallway's walls and floors. A small snore, jolts him. Peaking around the corner into the living room, he spies his other younger brother, Beelzebub, passed out on the couch, his body much too large for it. Random tins and plates surround his area, and he smiles ever slightly. He's watched Beelzebub and Mammon begin working out with the human from afar; it was no wonder they were tired from training.

_The human._

MC was supposed to be relying on him for support as well but rarely was she ever without the two demons by her side. He thinks back to their meeting together, after he had become engulfed with raging envy. How she had shook his hand, a dark look in her eye, and just there other day, when she glared death into him. A pang of jealousy and guilt struck his stomach. _I fucked up_ , he thought to himself, looking down at the wooden floor.

A small creak behind him startles his thoughts as quickly turns around to the hallway. MC steps forward, not realizing Leviathan was standing close to the living room's open frame. She mutters softly to herself, eyebrows knitted in thought until shae recognizes his form and freezes. Looking up to him, she quickly spits out a "sorry," and turns on her foot. The brother calls out quietly, "hey, wait!"

MC slows her pace down to a halt as she furrows her eyebrows in the dark, still looking away from the demon behind her.

He's searching for words to say, only knowing that he feels the need to talk to her. Tentatively he whispers out to her, "h-how's training going?"

Perplexed, she whips her head back to him, a confused expression on her face, "uh, what?"

Leviathan thanks the Celestial Realm that the hallway was dark enough to cover his reddening face. He throws a hand across his eyes and sighs, "I-I'm sorry. I haven't talked to you in a long time."

She hums coldly in response, knowing they were both fully aware as to why they hadn't spoken since the incident at the House of Lamentation. Leviathan shifts his feet, the creaking of the wood underneath him. Both of the students are reluctant to look each other in the eye.

"I," the brother starts his sentence again, looking for anything to say. He nervously rubs his hands under the pressure.

_I'm sorry I almost hit you? God, Levi, you fucking idiot._

He sighs heavily and realizes she hasn't walked away from him yet.

"I'm sorry," he says woefully, still unable to look at her. The phrase grabs her attention.

"I-I," he stammers, but sucks in more oxygen for assistance, "I know I have no right to be asking you to forgive me," he says, closing his eyes in concentration as to not misconstrue any of his words, "but I want to apologize and, and," he can't get it out. Overcome with embarrassment, he crumbles, shoulders falling, and his face in his hands, he speaks louder than whisper, "I just can't stand seeing you with Mammon and Beel all the time. You're my master as well and I should be able to help you, so I'm sorry, MC. I feel terrible!"

The student purses her lips at his pathetic tone. She remembers the first day she had met him; his audibly loud and overbearing tone when speaking to his older brother. How she had wanted to tell him off before he used a kinder voice to walk her to his room and give her all of his semester notes. _Perhaps an ego stroking moment for him_ , she thinks briefly, before thinking of the brother himself. While pretentious in nature, he never gave anything away out of pity or acceptance from another. He gave her those notes because he wanted to. He gave her the TSL album and the pact because that was the deal, and he had given her an apology because he knew he was in the wrong. The fact that he was standing here in front her, practically begging, had meret in and of itself.

Still bothered by her thoughts, she begins to speak but Leviathan looks up from his hands, a pitiful look in his eyes, "I know I messed up, MC. I've squandered my pride and my honor but I can't let you think I'm a monster like every horrible demon out there right now," as his voice falters, he begins to tremble, "I hate this. I hate all of this, there's so much shit going on and I can't even get away from it this time," the brother clasps his hands together, and closes his eyes, "please, don't hate me."

MC rubs her arm awkwardly; she didn't realize how torn up he'd be. _If he's this emotional then maybe..._

"Hey, listen," she speaks, even toned and quiet, trying to cool his nerves, "I," she sighs again, defeated, "I don't hate you, okay?"

Leviathan look down at the floor, ashamed of his actions but carefully listening.

"It's just been," she searches for the right word, "difficult to trust anyone, and I already have an issue with that." MC looks up at his face, "but thank you for apologizing. You didn't have to so I really appreciate it," Leviathan sniffles and looks up at her, now feeling more relaxed from the emotional burst he had given. She continues, "let's start over, okay? I know all of you mean well, and I know I kind of pushed your buttons back then so," she holds her hand out to shake with Leviathan's, "we're cool, okay?" Hoping her sentiment won't come back to bite her, she takes another leap and shakes hands.


	8. Chapter 8

The cooler autumn air was finally setting into the second week of Devildom's seasonal change. Stretching their limbs, MC remarks at the change in weather, "I didn't think you had seasons."

Mammon pokes his head up from touching his toes, "huh? What do you mean?"

"It's chillier lately," she says, bringing an arm up across her body, "do you guys have the autumn or fall or whatever you call it?"

Beelzebub, his mouth occupied with a protein bar, muffles an answer back, "it's not always hot in Devildom or else we could never have winter food! Like, hot soup, and hot chocolate, and hot razorback rat, and hot devilish cream porridge, and-" a loud growl interrupts the brother's own rant, making him touch his stomach, "I'm hungry."

"Beel, you're eating right now?" She chuckles, knowing how silly this must have sounded if he was human.

Beelzebub stands, his hand still on his stomach, a pathetic look on his face as his eyebrows knit together, "it's not enough and today's workout had me using all my energy," his eyes light up looking at MC, "wanna come eat with me?"

She laughs and agrees, grabbing her things before turning back to Mammon, "you wanna come eat, Mam?"

Grabbing the weights they had left on the mat, he doesn't turn around to face her, "no, that's alright."

A small pang of disappointment hits her. Mammon had been so distant when they weren't all going through exercises and she wondered if he would open up about it. Not wanting to push him, she replies, "okay, well, we'll be inside then," and as MC walks away, she hopes that she'll hear his voice call out to her like Leviathan had done the other day. Stepping into the cottage, she silently closes the door, taking one last look at her friend.

With most of the brothers still in the backyard, MC and Beelzebub walk to the kitchen peacefully. _Lord Diavolo certainly wasn't cheap with food_ , she thought to herself, rummaging through the shelves in the fridge. While it was nothing like the decadent kitchen back at the castle, it had it's fair amount of space and resources. Glancing over at the brother, she spots several items already being shoved in his mouth as he carries over ingredients to the spacious island bar.

As he sets his food down, she can hear the door from the backyard swing open. Small footsteps make their way around the corner and Leviathan steps through the threshold. He looks up and jolts, not expecting to see MC in his line of sight. Being daytime, she can now see his face become heavy with blush as he turns to walk away.

"Are you hungry?" She says to him, trying to open with a friendly gesture.

Leviathan twitches at her voice and peaks back around the corner like a child, "I mean, if it's okay with you, I'm pretty hungry."

She brushes her hair away from her face and smiles, "yea, it's all good."

Delighted by their new interaction, Leviathan feels better stepping back into the kitchen. Spotting Beelzebub's mess quickly leads him back into his normal behavior, "ugh, Beel! You're making a mess everywhere."

"Oops," the younger brother responds plainly as he begins wiping up the spilled sauce on the counter.

Looking over, MC laughs, "the food is supposed to go into your mouth, Beel," she says teasingly.

"It's too bad we can't get delivery out here, I hate cooking," mutters Leviathan, prodding at the ingredients Beelzebub laid out.

"I would try to make you guys something, but I have no idea how to use your weird ass Devildom food," MC responds from the opposite side of the island, picking up a piece of foreign meat.

With a mouth full of bread, Beelzebub tries to speak up, "I would love to eat your cooking, MC."

She scrunches her nose in indifference.

Another squeak of the back door and they all listen to the sneaker steps of another brother.

Mammon walks in, his head still down and a towel flush against his neck. MC immediately notices his red face and heavy breathing. _He's really putting the work in..._

Leviathan leans against the island, "yo, Mammon, you stink, lol."

The second oldest jerks his head up, seeing the three before him.

"Huh?" Too busy in his head, he didn't hear Leviathan's snarky comment. Before the other brother can respond, MC cuts him off, giving him a playful side eye, "he asked if you were hungry."

Drawing his attention back to the girl in front of him, he suddenly becomes hyper aware his legs wobbling. Automatically, his body pushes him to the empty spot of the across from the glutton, clutching the corners and relinquishing his answer dramatically, "I am starving."

"You should've just came in when I asked you the first time," she deadpans, regretting not pushing him to join her. _I knew he was gonna be exhausted_.

Setting his elbows on the counter, he leans his head into his hands, brushing his hair out of his hot face, "yea, yea," he says dismissively. MC takes some of the food in front of her, grabbing a knife to make one of the odd wraps Simeon seemed to make all the time back at the castle. Mammon looks up, watching her as she slides over the easily prepped snack, "huh? This for me?"

"You said you were hungry," she mutters nonchalantly, trying to mask her blushed face into making a snack for herself.

Leviathan frowns, eyebrows turnt up like a sad dog from across her, "can I have one too?"

She chuffs, "okay, okay."

"Me too!" Beelzebub tugs on her pant leg, his eyes sparkling.

\---

Leviathan sets his food down, "have you gotten to the incantation yet?"

"Huh?" MC looks up from her napkin, face still stuffed.

Beelzebub shakes his head, walking over to the fridge to grab a gallon of what looked to be milk, "no, not yet, but maybe in the next two weeks."

MC looks at the brothers, owl-eyed, still wharfing down her meal. Mammon leans back to his side, nabbing a chair by the bar to pull up and sit at the island with the three students, "that chant is so outdated, we should really make it shorter."

MC finally swallowing her food, groans, "is it long?"

Leviathan chuckles, "not as long as Redhart's character arc in season five."

All looking towards Leviathan, a single sweatdrop runs down their faces. Mammon squints with confusion, "what the hell are you even talking about, bro."

The otaku dramatically balls his fist up, flustered and enraged by their stares, "man, screw you, normies! I sent you a link to The Knight Who Ran Into a Bear with Magical Spirit Powers practically a month ago, and you still haven't watched it?!"

MC makes a face at him, teasing his antics, "it's not like we've had time, Levi, you want us drop the war to watch your favorite anime?" She snorts.

Leviathan crosses his arms, pouting away from the group, "it's not even my favorite..."

"Maybe when I learn how to summon you guys, we'll all crowd around your phone and watch it," MC says, smirking at the thought.

Mammon rest his head in his hand and swings his head over to MC, "how many pacts you got now, anyway? I bet you could learn how to summon all of us at the same time eventually," leaning in closer, he puts his hand up, mimicking whispering, "but I'm the most important one, okay?"

MC giggles bashfully, "oh, I know."

She moves her hand up to count, "let's see," she taps her fingers, "I've got three; Levi, Mammon, and Asmo."

Leviathan raises his eyebrows in shock, "what about Beel?" Widening her eyes in surprise, she turns to the youngest sitting at the island, "oh, yo, I totally forgot. I guess with all the time we spent together, it never came up." MC holds her hand out casually, "you want to?"

Beelzebub gulps down more milk before setting the empty gallon down, "okay," he says plainly without a second thought, reaching out to lock palms. A small flame ignites.

Leviathan fakes wiping away a tear, "wow, you're really leveling up."

Mammon ignores his comment, watching her unclasp from his brother's grip, "what made you start doing pacts anyway?"

Jogging her memory, she sparks at the thought, "wow, you know what, it was Leviathan who first told me about them."

The afromentioned brother stands tall, nodding his head in confirmation.

"I also sort of thought it was something you were supposed to do when you're human down here."

Leviathan droops back to his hunched over state and quirks his brows, "what made you think that?"

She hesitates.

The words flowing freely from her mouth, making her realize that life was different. Her tone becomes quieter, reflective of her sentence, "it's uh," she pauses, "it's what Solomon would do, so..."

Her voice trails off and the brothers become solemnly silent. Even referring to him felt off, and the energy of the room quickly shifted.

Mammon's eyes cast off to the floor, a quiet anger steaming under his skin. Without the mention of his name in days, it seemed his actions were all but forgotten to the group. MC leans on the counter, going over her thoughts, wondering if it was an appropriate to share her ideas of the sorcerer's betrayal.

Hoping it wouldn't fall on deaf ears, she speaks again, "I don't get it."

The oldest brother crosses his arms, "tch, what is there not to get? The guy is a fake."

MC stays steady on her words, "I just think there's something else going on."

Mammon's eyebrows furrow as Leviathan joins in, "what do you mean by that?"

Slowly, the oldest brother turns his head back to MC, awaiting her answer. Across from him, Beelzebub looks at her stoically, waiting for her next sentence.

Gathering herself, she takes a deep breathe. All the long, thoughtful walks at night around the cottage spilling for the brother's to see.

"There's things that are off about this whole situation," she begins, "back at the castle, when me, Solomon, and the angels were all together, he never summoned Asmo to come help us."

Leviathan interjects, "well, yea, he didn't want the help. He wanted to switch sides."

"So why hasn't he summoned him now?"

Mammon quirks his brow.

Grabbing their attention, she continues, "Solomon has seventy-two pacts with demons all over the school, which is already agregious, but his most important, and strongest one is with Asmo. Shoku clearly wants you guys, specifically, so why wait to eventually find us instead having one of you as a hostage to lure in the rest?"

Mammon leans forward in his chair, "they don't know about Lord Diavolo getting knocked out, so maybe they're still afraid of he'll bring the smoke if they take one of us?"

Leviathan shifts his weight, "no way, even if Lord Diavolo was awake, there's only a few of us. If Solomon is with Shoku, he could've already put us in checkmate."

MC continues, "right? If there's one thing I know, Solomon is not an idiot. Knowingly hiding information like that wouldn't benefit the both of them if he really meant to be on Shoku's side."

Beelzebub grabs a chair like his brother across from him and sits, cross legged, pulling their attention away, "Solomon has a pact with Barbatos too."

The trio's eyes widen and mouths agape, MC dramatically slams her hands to the counter, "what?! Since when? Are you serious?"

"How'd you even know that, Beel?"

The younger brother shrugs his shoulders, looking guilty, "when I was asleep in the living room last night, I woke up to grab a snack and I overheard Lucifer and Barbatos talking about it."

Mammon stands up, shocked and looking pale, "shit, that's the worst news we could've heard."

Leviathan, noticing MC's befuddlement, looks to her, "Lord Diavolo has seals all around the castle floors and walls, but Barbatos is the only one that activate them. With him, they could travel anywhere in Devildom in a few seconds."

She remembers back to the first day they fell into the cottage.

\---

_"Won't they follow us?!"_

_"No. They can't if they don't have Barbatos."_

\---

 _So that's what Lucifer meant_ , she thinks, before holding her finger up, "that just helps my theory then, right? If Barbatos is so important to Shoku, Solomon would've already summoned him for sure!"

Leviathan shrugs his shoulders, "I don't know, MC, maybe he's biding his time. Solomon might want something in exchange instead of laying all of his cards out on the table like that."

MC furrows her brows in frustration, _he has a good point._ With her old friend being so mysterious, she didn't really know what to expect.

"I don't know," she says softly, "it's just suspicious is all," trailing off, she leads into another thought, "at first, when I heard him switch sides, I had an idea that maybe he could be our guy on the inside but..."

Memories of Luke flash in her mind.

"I'm not sure. It just doesn't add up right."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Two weeks earlier._ **

The crumbling castle wall fell to the floor; a waterfall of debris and stone seeping into the courtyard. Demonic entities cheered loudly and abruptly as they watch their master walk delicately through the hall to the open space. Lacerations and damage cover his body, but he pays no mind. Shokujinki calmly assesses the damages of the area, searching for any sight of the angels or brothers. A small glimpse of a glimmering white feather catches his attention as he watches it dance into the sky above.

"I've never seen the death of an angel with my own eyes," he says aloud, grimacing at the sight and seemingly speaking to himself. Following his eyesight down, he spots a white haired man standing in front of the giant pile of rubble and ceiling. Hadad begins walking to his master's side, setting a healing spell around his eye to stop the bleeding and any further damage.

He speaks, exasperated from his fight and frustrated by the situation that had unfold, "their sorcerer, sir. He's joined us to-"

Shokujinki glares at his young peon coldly, "he's killed the angel."

A cold chill shoots up the sorcerer's spine. As if on cue, Solomon casually walks towards Shokujinki, a thousand yard stare looking at the demon. Bringing his hand out to shake, he calmly speaks, "my apologies if I disrupted anything. I figured introductions would be needed. My name is Solomon."

The tall demon takes his hand, gripping it with power. Solomon can feel the sheer weight of his demonic pressure in his touch and if he weren't as strong, he would've surely fallen to his knees in fear.

As Shokujinki let's go, he keeps his dark, cosmically glowing eyes on Solomon's, feeling a familiarity with the man, "tell me. You killed that angel, Solomon. Who told you to do that?"

Hadad's heart beats faster, his breathes becoming shorter as he watches the other man speak, "ah, yes, the sorcerer had told me to prove myself to the cause. Seemed appropriate to display my power in the midst of the fight."

Hadad trembles, mouth agape as he looks between Solomon and Shokujinki, trying to find an excuse, "I meant, Shoku, I," he stumbles over his words, "there was another human and another angel, I had no idea that he would-" As he pleads, his master turns his head to him, gently placing his finger an inch in front of his wounded eye. His voice, deep and calculated, "try to think harder next time, hm?"

A squelch is audible as Shokujinki shoves his finger into the man's eye. Horrid screams of pain vibrate throughout the corridor and even the demons cower.

\---

In the early morning hours, Solomon awakes to a knocking at his door. With the castle overtaken, many of the demons were on watch all around the castle, while others begin satiating their curiosity, walking up and down the halls. To Solomon's curiosity, however, Shokujinki instructed no one to enter the lower levels of the underground chambers where the sorcerer had ventured just a few days ago.

Another loud bang at the door and a frustrated voice booms from behind the walls, "can I break it down? Human takes too long."

Solomon groggily calls to the door, "come in."

Brandished with a new bandage covering his left eye, Hadad steps into the other sorcerer's room. A scowl on his face, "Shokujinki requires your presence."

Behind him, a much taller, buffer demon towers in the hall. _The one who had fought with Beelzebub_ , he notes, throwing his roughed up cape on.

Tengu's voice barks behind Hadad, "you look like shit."

Hadad smirks, "feel free to use an incantation on Tengu if he pisses you off."

"Tch," the demon crosses his arms over his chest. Solomon doesn't humor him, "I think not. Tengu is obviously fully recovered already and I don't want to cause any trouble," he smiles, pinching one of Hadad's nerves. _Fucking smiling prick_.

\---

The walls of the castle are filled with voices all around the three elite followers. _Truly in the center of the snake pit,_ Solomon thinks, using his peripheral vision to see various demons scattered about the halls and rooms. A small imp catches his attention as he watches him scurry across the trio, frightened, not to disturb their steps. Coming down the stairs, he realizes that he's being taken to the center of the castle, where the chambers are. Hadad in front, stops walking, letting Tengu come from the middle to open the doors for him. _A hierarchy of sorts_ , he notes, realizing those with magical powers were some how considered superior despite being human. _Or perhaps, just better preserved on purpose..._

Solomon notices immediately that the area feels different from before the attack. The air is crushing, the walls feeling as though they suffocate the room itself. It was colder, and if Hadad didn't feel the dread before, he was feeling it now. He spots Shokujinki at the edge of the chamber's entrance, his back turned away.

Hadad speaks first, confident in his words this time around, "Shoku, I've brought the human."

Without turning, Shokujinki's powerful voice beckons Solomon to listen, "you are kin with Hadad, I've been told."

The student steps forward, "yes, we both had the same teacher in the Human Realm."

"Ah," the demon responds simply. Turning his head slightly, he begins again, "from my homeland," he drawls, smiling over his shoulder, "I don't expect you to be truthful with me at all."

Solomon smiles back, "I would certainly hope so. I understand why you would be suspicious."

"Yes," he hisses methodically. In a slow movement, Shokujinki faces the three followers, "seeing as we're all acquainted, perhaps I could enlighten you on our situation, my friends."

With Tengu at the chamber's entrance, the castle's new owner leads the two human sorcerer's down the stairs into the depths of the jails. Solomon, behind Hadad calls to Shokujinki, "I was down here not too long ago if you must know."

The demon laughs, "how unfortunate." Stepping towards the wooden door, he creaks it open, continuing the same hallway that he had led his friends down.

The same chambers that he thought Simeon was up to no good in.

The same room that he found his brother's skeletal corpse.

A twinge of anger crosses his mind briefly before he shoves it back into his soul. _Not now, Solomon_ , he reassures himself, hoping the demon didn't catch a moment of vulnerability.

At the end of the jail's cells, Shokujinki places his feet on the dirt floor of the largest room; his presence even greater in the choking space. He faces the back wall, his hands behind his back once more; a natural behavior of his, thankful that he could do it freely without the chains.

"The blood is fresh in here still, I see," his voice is low, contemplative, "that bastard had no appreciation for creativity, I assure you."

Hadad steps forward, unaware that it was an inappropriate time to speak, "Shoku, are you planning on opening the bottom half of the chambers again?"

A nerve struck the demon master, as he slowly turned his head to the human. A murderous look in his eye, "have I told you to speak?"

The sorcerer shuts his mouth closed, his face beginning to pale and a surge of pain in his covered eye. Sweating under his robes, he says nothing more.

Shokujinki turns back towards the room. The silence drawing out until his voice cuts into the human's ears, amplified by the small space, "twenty years ago, my friends were murdered by the hands of Lord Diavolo."

Solomon listens intensely.

"Dukes of Hell, the greatest demons to have ever lived in Devildom. Murdered, sentenced to death for conspiracy and," he barks out a mocking laugh, "insubordination, they called it..."

_"A beheading in front of my own eyes."_

"I pleaded with him. Begged on my hands and knees to spare them," the demon's anger grows in his voice, "but nothing made him change his mind."

"I risked my allegiance, my pride, my," Shokujinki's voice becomes loud, louder than Hadad had ever heard. His cool, calm state crumbling before him, "my soul. All for them. Eligos, Saleos, and Procell. My friends for more centuries than I can count. Taken away and cast aside in a matter of minutes."

"Because of these chambers, I am here."

His head whips to Solomon's, pupils like rings of fire, "think of lying to me, and I will show no mercy in retribution for my comrades. Are we understood?"

The sorcerer grins softly, "of course."

\---

Night falls over the castle, the stone walls becoming dark, and ceaselessly silent. The wind gently blows the open window's curtains as Solomon sits quietly on his bed. Staring out into the sky, his head begins to split. His hand comes up to his temples, rubbing them furiously, sighing in frustration.

He didn't want to do it like this. He didn't want MC to see.

He closes his eyes, the image of Luke's sad face burned into his mind.

_"I'm sorry."_

Empty words. Nothing he could've said would've eased the angel's fear. He thought he could mask his feelings, but he could tell by the small boy's eyes that he couldn't hide what he had felt.

Curling into his body, he lays his arms over his knees, staring into the room, softly lightened with the moon. He furrows his brows.

_Nathan._

_What do I do..?_

Gripping his clothes, Solomon stifles a cry, swallowing the heaviness in his throat.

_I'll kill him, Nate._

_I have to kill him._

_I'm sorry._


	10. Chapter 10

Mammon stared at the ring on the bureau, his mind fixed into another day. Staring past the ring, he could see MC smiling, laughing, and next to her -- Solomon standing nearby, but he couldn't see his face. Eyes cold, the brother looks away, a pain in his heart he couldn't shake. Day in and day out, they had practiced. Running, lifting, and now that Leviathan had joined them, the magic really began to take off. Soon, she'd know how to summon every one of her pact demons. Including him; _she would pick me first, right?_ He didn't feel like sharing her anymore than he already did, as selfish as he knew that was. _Her thoughts are already occupied with Solomon even when he's not around,_ he thinks solemnly.

He shook his head, looking at the floor in defeat. A board's small squeak made him jump up as the door opened. MC's form slowly moving in, stopping just as she saw her friend. Her hair was still wet from her shower and his heart beat fast at the sight.

"Ah, Mammon, you scared me," she said, surprised to see him, "what're you doing?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but the noise came out faint and he blushed madly, throwing his hand on his face. Not taking it seriously, MC chuckles, "you good, bro?"

"Yea," he replies unconvincingly fine and sighing heavily. MC sits on her bed, sensing the tension in the air as her friend glances around on the floor, "what's up," she asks, knitting her brows in concern.

The brother doesn't speak, his thoughts washing in and out of consciousness, _what was there to speak about._ Had he really just come in to complain about Solomon? To complain that his friend might still care about their lost comrade? His silence stifles the room and he knows he needs to answer before she begins becoming really concerned.

"I was just thinking," he mutters out, running a hand through his hair, "just thinking about everything, you know?"

MC's eyes soften, hoping this was her chance to finally figure out why he'd been so distant, "yea, I feel that," she sighs, "I've been, uh," she stutters, her hands fidgeting in her lap, "I've noticed you been acting kind of different and I don't know, I guess I've just been worried about you is all."

MC feels her face redden as she glances to Mammon and the floor. His heart beats louder in his chest. _Worried? About me?_ He immediately felt dumb for even assuming she wouldn't worry about him as well, his ego too focused on what he thought she was thinking about. Sighing, Mammon rubs the back of his neck bashfully, "I'm sorry, MC, I didn't mean to worry you," he bites his lip thoughtfully, a move that brings her attention intently back to his face, "with training and working with you," he trails off, looking for his thoughts, "and working with Beel and Levi... I feel weak, you know? I feel like," _like I can't protect you. Or anyone_.

MC wants to reach out and touch him, but refrains, not knowing how he'd react, "you're not weak, Mammon! All you've done is work hard, harder than any of us honestly," she laughs nervously, remembering how poorly she felt after running every day, "I'm proud of you. You shouldn't feel bad, you're doing your best. I mean, shit, we're all trying."

Her reassuring smile touches him. A human comforting a demon like this, he wants to scoff at the ridiculous scene but his body moves on its own. Standing up, he leans over her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, hugging her head into his neck. She doesn't shy away, her heart souring from his sincere display of affection. Staying in his position, he whispers to her softly, "you're so strong." As his grip begins to loosen, he moves his hands to either side of her shoulders, looking intensely and determined,

"I want to protect you, MC. I want to be strong like you."

_Like me?_ Her eyes widen _. Strong..? Like me?_

\---

Lucifer steps out of the room, the door clicking behind him. The rigorous process of healing Lord Diavolo's wounds were wearing him thin on sleep and basic nutrition. Every day and night for the last two weeks spent focused on helping Barbatos stabilize his condition; _burning the midnight oil_ , as his master would say.

He stretches his neck and straightens his dress shirt, wanting to display the professional facade he's been accustomed to. Quick steps lead him into the open kitchen-living area and he sighs in relief when there's no sign of his brothers about. Not even Beel snoring on the couch at this hour, hearing the distance voices of the students in their rooms.

 _In and out_ , he would brew some tea, have something to eat fast, and head back to Lord Diavolo. He sighs tiredly, grabbing the kettle and placing it on the stove top. Lucifer's hand comes up to his face, a quick squeeze from the bridge of his nose and down. He can feel his eyes heavy with exhaustion. The oldest brother saunters over to the cabinet, a can of Devildom vegetables and meat with his name on it. While usually disgusted by most canned food, he doesn't bat an eye peeling the top away and grabbing a spoon, too occupied in his thoughts to care. _What's a canned meal to help save the future Demon King and Hell itself...?_ He grimaces at the taste, watching the kettle carefully, and listening for any doors opening.

He didn't want to avoid his brother's like this but the painful thought of them not understanding his stress drove him further away. _They don't get how much I do for us_ , Lucifer thinks miserably tired. The kettle rings and he lifts it, carefully making his drink. _Lord Diavolo had make a remarkable recovery already,_ he thinks, trying to ease his nerves, but a boiling feeling beneath his surface bubbles over; old feelings of helplessness. He remembers kneeling to the young Lord, swallowing his pride and begging him to save his sister and brothers. Clutching Lilith's shoulder as he held her, the desperation in his heart opening and spilling for the demon to see. He owed it to his friend for letting them become demons and stay in Devildom. Just as he saved his life, Lucifer would save Diavolo's. The itching thought of Lilith shifts his attention to the faint sounds of MC outside, no doubt practicing her "magic."

 _She certainly sounds just like her,_ peeking out the window's curtains, his eyes on her form the distance. _Something so familiar about her presence and yet, too different to draw any real conclusions. Did humans have magical capabilities like hers often?_ He thinks not, but he wasn't for sure. _The other human was a trained sorcerer and had dedicated years to get to where he was. The girl outside was struggling to even channel a basic elemental spell,_ and yet he was sure, if agitated, she could break the entire cottage and his brother's in two. Turning back towards the room, Lucifer feels his stomach turn. _If she is Lilith, this will only complicate things._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long await is over,,, had to rewrite the ending parts but it's all good now


	11. Chapter 11

Like a bullet, a hot ball of magic zips past Asmodeus, exploding behind him. He hangs his mouth open comically, shocked that if he was even an inch closer, it would've certainly singed his hair. The crackling of burnt trees still to his back, he blinks rapidly, looking on at the red faced MC, cowering in embarrassment from across the backyard, "s-sorry, Asmo!"

Leviathan screams in dismay, "MC, I said wrist control, moron! If I'm gonna lend you magic, you have to learn wrist control! You can't toss it like you're in the major leagues!"

Asmodeus, eyes wide in bewilderment, watches them argue as MC turns on her heel, balling her fists up, "you didn't explain it well enough! I didn't expect it to actually heat up my hand, you idiot!"

Satan, hearing the commotion, strolls over behind Asmodeus, glancing back at the wreckage of trees. _Shokujinki returns and MC has magic now_ , he accepts astutely, lazily rolling his eyes over to the four students across the yard.

As Satan begins to move his hand to Asmodeus' shoulders -- wanting to reassure him that his hair still looked good -- he catches a small smirk from the brother's face. He was sure that his uptight counterpart would be more than furious but as he pondered the expression, Asmodeus spoke softly, "she'd be good friends with her, don't you think?"

\---

"Thought you'd be good friends," Tengu says roughly, throwing his feet up on the table, "aren't you both sorcerer's?"

The once elegant mess hall of the castle was now barren of its otherwise ornate decor. Curtains taken down to be knitted and fitted into clothes, paintings being burnt in bonfires; anything to dismantle Diavolo's vision.

Hadad looked up from his food through his good eye, a scowl crossing his face, "please, not all humans are friendly neighbors. I detest most of them and you'd be surprised to know that's the common feeling amongst my kind. It's a good thing our leader seeks them as prey; the miserable rats." His hand shakes as he goes in for another bite of his food; Shokujinki's powerful voice echoing in his ear, a shiver ran down his back. _With another sorcerer around, surely he wouldn't be seen as less important?_ A dull itch in his patch covered eye makes him twitch again. _Right?_

Tengu stares back with his blue eyes, "oh yea?" Swinging his feet over to the ground, a mischievous smile creeps on the corner of his mouth. As Hadad begins to open his mouth, Tengu yells across the crowd of demons to Solomon, carefully walking through them to sit. Catching his eyes, the sorcerer smiles politely and begins strolling towards their table.

"You shit head," Hadad growls under his breath.

The large demon brings his hand to Solomon's back as he sits, patting him like an old acquaintance, "how've ya been holding up," he booms, cheekily smiling back at the white haired human.

"Just fine," Solomon says coolly, the mask of confidence never falling. His head turns to Hadad, feeling the wave of negativity wafting off of him. Feigning naivety, Solomon frowns sadly, "is there something the matter? Not feeling well?"

The other human's mouth twitches as he grumbles, "just peachy."

Like a wolf, the young white haired sorcerer can smell the blatant dislike of his presence at the table and yet, Hadad is quiet and looking away into his food. Studying his body language, he can't help but want to poke the uncomfortable man more, seeing how far his temper would take him, "terrible wound to get, I'm sure," Solomon says carefully, staring Hadad down, "if you'd like, I could look at it for you."

He barks laughter, a disgusted smile as the sorcerer continues to feel Solomon's eyes, "no, no," he says, gritting through his teeth, "I've managed."

Tengu blissfully reenters the conversation, "I don't know, boss, you're looking kinda pale. Maybe you should take a break."

Hadad squeezes his hand into a fist on the table, still smiling but obviously annoyed now as his eye darts to Tengu, "there are no breaks for someone planning on ruling over this hellscape," his gaze now bravely shifting to the other sorcerer's, "we need leaders. Leaders we can trust and rely on."

Stuck in his sight, Hadad catches a glow from behind Solomon's eyes. A look that reminds him of his master. Foreboding and dangerous, the change so sudden he gets chills.

"Well," Solomon says slowly, his voice colder now to the ear, and yet, his smile still displayed, "I do hope nothing happens to you then."

Hadad abruptly stands up, fear coursing through his veins, the table shifting and chair sliding from his sudden movement. The other demons begin to take second glances at their table, noticing the human's odd behavior. Tengu stays quiet, surprised at Hadad's sweating forehead and agape mouth, not realizing the mind game at play.

Solomon's hushed tone touches his ears.

"We are kin after all," a cheshire smile slides on his face, something dark in his eyes peer into Hadad's, "you're the best sorcerer here and Shoku seems to really take a liking to you."

The other human's eyes widen as his voice screams in his head, _he's taunting you! He's mocking you! Making a fool out of you! He will not replace me!_ In a frenzied move, Hadad's hand lifts, a glow quickly emitting as a heated blast ignites Solomon and sends him flying back out of his chair. Tengu lunges out of the way, frantically scrambling to stand back up, "what the fuck, Hadad?"

Demons at other tables gasp but don't interfere. The sorcerer breathes heavily as he stares into the eyes of his mostly unharmed target, his arms barren and smoking from the blast.

A faint whisper in his ear sends his blood running cold, "Hadad."

Shokujinki touches his shoulder gently, his heart hammering in his chest, the panic of losing his other eye, _no,_ his life sets in fast. He begs his mouth to speak but he can't bring himself to. Shokujinki's voice, though quiet, bellows throughout the room for all to hear.

"What's all this about, hm?"

Before he can say anything, he watches Solomon slowly stand from the ground, seemingly untouched by the flames he thought he ignited him with -- burnt clothes dangle off his body, revealing an assortment of tattoos covering what looked to be all of his torso and arms.

"You sonofabitch," Hadad growls.

Solomon calmly discards the remains of shirt as he looks at Shokujinki, "I'm sorry for the commotion, sir. Kin do seem to fight more often than not," he turns his eyebrows up, a small, humourous smile on his face. Hadad looks on in pure malice, wanting to rip his smile from his skin.

"A temper, Hadad has," their leader replies, also smiling back at the human, removing his hand from the man's shoulder. With a turn to the exit, Shokujinki's voice rings in the hall, "I do hope it won't happen again."

As his presence finally dissipates, demons begin muttering and chattering with each other, most begining to file out of the hall, not wanting another dangerous stunt to happen around them. Hadad, feeling his relief, gives weigh to his legs and falls to his knees. How he managed to come out alive was beyond him. He looks down at his hands, balling them in frustration. _How fucking embarrassing_.

\---

A knock comes suddenly on Tengu's door. Setting his weights down, he walks over to open the door, expecting a angry Hadad bitching about his day.

A click, and Solomon stands before him.

"Oh," he wasn't expecting the other human but laughs as recalls earlier in the day, "what's up, hot shot, here to kick it and not get your ass lit on fire?"

The young man chuckles, "this is the second time this month someone has tried to cook me. I think the Father is trying to tell me something."

Inviting him inside, Tengu closes the door and points at his fridge -- proud that he had carried it all the way from the kitchen -- "grab a beer or whatever you want from there, man, you deserve it for the show."

"Show?" Solomon prods, lazily grabbing a random Devildom branded alcoholic beverage, "I was going to apologize, I do hate to stir trouble."

The larger demon plops back to his couch, more bottles strewn around him as he laughs again, "no way, Hadad is such a little shit. He had it coming to him and I'm glad it was you. Puts him in his damn place for once," he says, taking a swig of his now warm bottle.

The sorcerer sits on the opposite end of the smaller room, a seat just next to the fridge, "demons don't like him, I presume?"

"Pre - what?"

"The demons," Solomon goes on, "they don't like him?"

"Hell no!" Tengu tosses his bottle at the wall, the glass shattering on impact. Pointing to the fridge, the human realizes he's asking for another bottle, "the guy is a total asshole. Always bossing everyone around when Shoku isn't here. Taking the lead on every plan," Solomon hands him his beer, "it was my idea to just barge in and take the castle back, you know! But Hadad took all the credit cause he knew about the magic bubble or whatever the fuck it was."

"Ah, Barbatos' magic," the human points out, carefully listening to the demon.

"Yea, yea," Tengu scrunches his nose, thinking back to the day, "sucks though, the plan was to keep him here with the boss but the bastard got away."

Solomon takes a drink and interjects, "what's so special about a butler? Surely, Diavolo is more important?"

Tengu sits up, his grin lining with shark like teeth, "are you joking? You really are clueless for a human."

 _Clueless_ , Solomon thinks to himself humorously. He knew Hadad would never open up about Shokujinki's plan, especially now after today, but he knew coming to Tengu would merit some kind of positive interaction.

"He's like, the key to the portals so we can go anywhere in Devildom. The next time there's a scouting mission, I'll bring you with us since you know what he looks like."

The human chuckles as he drinks, "that sounds like a plan."

Smirking, Tengu sits back in the couch, "I can't believe you really changed sides so easily. Hadad told me most humans hate each other though, huh?"

Nodding his head, he smiles, "he's not wrong. Humans don't tend to get along with each other very well."

"See? That's the difference between you and I," the demon says, shaking his head, "humans take for granted all the people they got around them. That's probably why Diavolo is the same way, he loves human culture! And look where that put us," the human stares at Tengu, his eyes serious in thought, "suddenly, a bunch of do good fucking angels fall down and they're all he cares about. No fucks about us," Tengu chuckles darkly, drinking his beer.

Solomon purses his lips and after a brief moment of silence the demon scoffs, lazily throwing his arm over the back of his couch, "too bad you killed that angel," he drawls, "would've been nice to see him get eaten alive."

A twinge of anger rushes through the sorcerer's body and a smile, his natural defense, lightens his appearance, "oh?"

Tengu laughs heartily, his face beginning to flush from the alcohol, "I can't believe Shoku didn't kill you after that. He was banking on eating that angel and you literally blew him up!"

His laughs fall on Solomon's deaf ears as processes his words; _Shokujinki **did** plan on eating that child._

  
_Luke's scared expression._

_His trembling hands._

_I'm sorry would never be enough._

_A merciful death before Shokujinki could get his hands on him is all Solomon could give him before his light returned to the Father._

_Solomon's stomach churns, the pain becoming harder to mask._

_He thinks back to the book he had bought in the antique shop with MC that fateful day. His fingers grazing the pages, his eyes stopping on a familiar name, compelled to tell MC of the demon who had brought him to Devildom._

_"Very elusive, but recently in the last decade, people have said he's been popping up more frequently."_

_Solomon had lived in Japan all his life and was used to hearing the name of the Shokujinki._

_A demon that consumes human corpses._

  
"Some say that when he eats the corpse, he gains their spiritual power."

Tengu's laughter dies down as he notices Solomon's blank stare, looking through him rather than at him.

"Well, yeah," he answers back, bewildered, waving his hand in front of Solomon's eyes, "you drink too much, bro? You're pretty lightweight."

"That's why he wants the angels."

Tengu chuckles nervously, "uh, yeah, but don't worry, you're not in trouble for letting one slide."

"My brother told me that," Solomon smiles, his emotions whirling in his brain, "he really looked up to him."

"Is that why you're here?'

The light in his eyes return to Tengu as he hears the question in his head on repeat.

_Is that why I'm here?_

Tengu asks again, "cause of your brother? Shokujinki was his inspiration, no wonder you joined sides," obliviously, the demon sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, "he's a really great leader, wants to look out for all of us. I think it's loyal of you to follow in your brother's footsteps."

_Following his footsteps._

The echoes are loud and cavernous inside of Solomon.

_That's all I've ever done, huh? Follow i_ _n his footsteps? Follow his moves. That's why I'm here._

_..._

  
**"No."**

  
Tengu looks over to Solomon.

  
The sorcerer's calm voice clearing through his smile.

  
**_"I'm here to kill the Shokujinki."_ **


	12. Chapter 12

Satan slowly opened the door to the shared bedroom. The quiet breathing from MC indicating that she was already fast asleep, he made sure to keep his feet steady as he walked by to lay on the vacant bed on the other side of the room. With slow movements he lays on top of his covers, looking at the ceiling above him. _Simeon must be praying,_ he thought to himself, noticing the empty sleeping cot on the floor. He sighs heavily, his hand coming up to his forehead as he closes his tired eyes. Every day felt shorter, the month drawing to a close. He would never say he was easily frightened but the mere thought of going back to the castle sent a sickening feeling to his stomach. Opening his eyes he saw just the moonlight shining through the curtains, creating a gentle haze in the otherwise dark room.

Satan tilts his head to his classmate's. The room was small enough to hear her resting breaths if one were to closely listen. He saw her all the time; training, yelling with his brothers, defiantly staying to fight even if it meant she could lose her life. _Or perhaps, she didn't think that far ahead_ , he thinks cynically. She faced away, only the top of her head visible from the angle he was at. He never caught eyes with her, they never interacted, and yet, he felt a strange comfort being in her presence. Maybe he respected her for standing up against Lucifer -- maybe he saw himself in her, he thinks, remembering the day she snapped at his poor otaku brother. A passion. _An anger._ A sadness. Something always boiling underneath her exterior.

He closes his eyes.

 _Curious_...

\---

Eyes drift around the room.

Her room. MC touches her comforter, trying to ground herself again. She smells a sweetness in the air that draws her up from the bed. She doesn't remember waking up. Opening the bedroom door, sleepily, her apartment is quiet. The young woman rubs her eyes, dreamily wandering to the couch to plop herself down on. The artificial warmth from the heater fills the living room. Looking off to her balcony, the day shined bright outside, the buildings and trees hazily drawn out from her perspective.

A click from the front door distracts her and she watches it open slowly.

"Hey, babe."

She blinks.

An orange glow covers her vision. Smoke and fire ignite the apartment, the heat of the flames cooking her face. Her eyes widen, quickly in a panic to understand what she did. It's happening again.

Sebastian's body falls to the ground, his arm laid out as he tries to crawl towards her. His face is mangled, blood drawing from his nose and mouth, his words louder in her ears, _ **"you're parents were right."**_

She reels back from the couch, squeezing her eyes shut, heart racing.

**_"You're the devil."_ **

MC's eyes open, eyebrows furrowed from her waking state and she struggles to grasp her sheets. Heavily breathing, she feels the adrenaline as she sits up in the cottage bedroom. Coming to, she slowly looks around again. Distant voices comforted her. She was okay.

"Rough night?"

She yelped, not expecting Satan's voice next to her. Cross legged, he held a book in his hand, his back against the wall of the room.

Embarrassed by her frazzled state, she mutters under her breath, "sorry. I guess so."

Not taking his eyes off his book, he continues, "if you have nightmares, I'm sure Barbatos could suggest some tea to help you sleep."

"I'll be fine," she responds quickly, getting up and rubbing her face. Feeling vulnerable, she faces away from the blonde brother, her nerves fried as she tries to compose herself.

Satan takes note. _We **are** very similar it seems_, he confirms, not wanting to press her any further.

After gathering her things, MC begins to leave the room until she hears Satan call out, "aren't you forgetting something?"

She turns her head to him, Solomon's ring placed delicately between his fingers as he stands behind her.

"This is yours, isn't it?"

Her quiet facade waivers as she stares at the ring.

"Yea," MC responds, her eyes feeling heavy and taking it from his hands to fidget it around her fingers, "thanks, Satan."

Walking out into the hallway, she holds the ring in her fist, an uneasiness bubbling in her throat again.


	13. Chapter 13

"One more time," Asmodeus directs to MC. Standing in the backyard, the brothers and Simeon gather around MC, watching her harness her inner magical energy. Facing the deep forest, MC stands with her hand to the tree's trunks, bracing her wrist as if an invisible wind was pushing her back. The wind rises and whips around her body, a white fire burning around her feet and setting her outstretched hand ablaze. Thanking herself for the extra pushups she'd done, MC held her wrist steadily before blasting a ball of hot fire into the brush. The explosion and pressure topples the trees as the flames begin to consume the forestry. Leviathan, standing nearby, lifts his arms in a fluid motion; a wave of water lifting from the ground to wash away the damage. Once settled, Mammon hollers in excitement, "fuck ya, that's five times in a row!"

Turning around, she smiles proudly as she laughs, "thank you! Thank you!"

Asmodeus runs to her side, swinging his arms around her head, "oh, my sweet baby," he exclaims, petting her head, "you're a natural, so talented! I knew you'd do great!"

Mammon's voice screeches from the sidelines, "hey, let go of her, you pervert! You didn't even do anything!"

With a twinkle in his eye, the younger brother slips his arms away and onto his hips, "without me, she would've never had such great direction!"

MC makes a face from behind Asmodeus, grumbling under her breath jokingly, "pretty sure I would've been fine."

Leviathan, now out of the brush, raises his fists up, "this is just like that sports anime I watch!"

Looking around, MC smiles, feeling triumphant at her accomplishments. Truly the year had taken a dark turn but seeing her friends smile and cheer lifted the woman's spirits. _Hope, finally._

Through the cheers, Beelzebub's cadence reached MC's ears as she looked toward him, "shall we try to summon then?"

Despite his soft smile, MC still felt a nervous pang inside of her. _Will it work..?_

Mammon noticing the change in her face pipes up alongside him, "we don't have to try to today, we can always try tomorrow if you're tired."

She shakes her head, furrowing her eyebrows, "no, I can do it."

Scooting closer, Asmodeus covers his hand from his brother's to whisper to MC, "do you remember the words?"

The woman squints her eyes in focus to remember but sighs heavily, realizing she didn't, "no," she whines, defeated.

The brother laughs, patting her shoulder reassuringly, "it's alright! I'll say it first, and then you say it back. When you're finished, just call out the name of whoever you'd like to try first! It can be anyone of us," he smiles sweetly, genuinely meaning the words spoke. As he begins to turn around to get some distance from her designated summoning area, he turns back quickly, his mouth making an "o" shape, "except for Satan! I forgot you didn't have a pact with him!"

Standing next to Simeon, the blonde haired brother raised his eyebrows as he noticed eyes on him now, "ah, yes," he said quickly, "sorry, yes, I'm afraid summoning me wouldn't garner much strength if we didn't have a pact..." While his voice trailed off, MC noticed he wanted to say more but chose not to push it the conversation any further. Turning her head back to the forest, she felt it right to look away from the brothers, not wanting to call out any name to summon at random.

Seeing her ready, Asmodeus recited the summoning chant to her, 

  
" **Infinite in distance and bound by death...** "

  
She closes her eyes and the words repeat in her mind.

  
_**Infinite in distance and bound by death.** _

  
She thinks of their names. All flashing by in her thoughts like cars racing past her. One of the brothers had to be called out to summon; _maybe I should pick someone I've never called to before?_ A small voice in the back of her mind disagrees. She doesn't want to botch the summoning by being too nervous and tries to slow her breathing.

The brothers stare intensely. Asmodeus dawns a serious look, partially expecting her to fail. Despite all her hard work, he was unsure if her body could handle the toll of summoning yet. Beel watches her muscles tighten, her weight pushing against the force of the magic.

Nervously, Mammon clutches the side of his sweatpants, his other hand balled in a fist. He wants MC to succeed. He wants her to summon whoever she wants but deep down he knows he's being selfish. _He wants her to want him._

She sighs, the energy dissipating as she hangs her arm and head back down, her hand coming up to rub her forehead. Asmodeus yells out from the sidelines, "take you time, sweet pea!"

 _I've taken almost a month of time_ , she thinks, frustrated by herself. Beel was right to work us out, she rubs her thighs, sore from the pressure of the magic pushing down on her. Her fingers brush her pocket and the distinct outline of the ring catches her attention. Taking out the bittersweet gift, MC fingers it in her palm, a solemn nostalgia overtaking her.

Asmodeus calls once more, "are you okay?"

MC nods her head animatedly, not turning to answer back, "yea, I'm okay! I just need a minute!"

_It's a magical ring, MC. When I'm not around, you can still have me with you._

Slipping on the ring, she feels her heart beat faster.

_I have to do this._

Readying her stance, MC closes her eyes again.

As her energy grew, she felt the strange aura of another person in her head. _Is it the woman?_ MC thinks, focused in her mind. Grasping the foggy thoughts carefully, she visualizes looking through clouds; pushing away the white fluffy forms to reveal the name she knew she must call out for. The name that brought her comfort.

With a deep breath, MC lifts her hand in front of her again, the air like a hurricane around her as magic essence flies around erratically.

  
" **Infinite in distance and bound by death**..."

  
The pact brothers tense, ready for her to summon one of them.

Her voice escapes proudly, out into the open skies,

" ** _MAMMON_**."

A smile.

Just as fast as she called, like a thunderous crash, the older brother appears in front of her, his grandiose demonic wings spread wide. The brilliance of light fully envelopes the group's vision. The bright flashes die and the summoning haze around him almost looks angelic. As he looks up at MC, she grins, half expecting him to smirk wildly and smugly sticking his tongue out to his brothers.

But as he stands there, his eyes reach hers, and she can feel her heart beat. The soft shades of yellow and blue melt into her own and for the first time, she feels her breath catch in her throat. _Has he always looked at her like this?_

"Thank you."

"Ah," she wants to say something but celebratory shouting shakes her from her attention.

"You did it!"

"Great job!"

"Marvelous!"

Prying her eyes away, MC looks over to the jumping excitement of her friends.

 _Hope_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> goblin back with another chapter and we're almost done with this arc.....


End file.
